DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 2-year-old male cat. This past winter, he had a severe reaction to his rabies vaccine.

Within a few hours of receiving the vaccine, he became lethargic and began vomiting blood. We took him to an emergency vet clinic, where he was given IV antibiotics and antihistamine overnight. As you can imagine, this was a scary and expensive event. We asked what could be done to prevent such a reoccurrence, and we were told to give him Benadryl the next time he gets his rabies vaccine.

Considering the severity of the reaction, we are concerned that just a dose of Benadryl will not be sufficient. He is an indoor-only cat who never even steps foot outside. While the possibility of contracting rabies seems to be nearly zero, the risk of serious consequences from the vaccine are already known to be 100 percent.

We know that the rabies vaccine is required, but can an exception be made in this case? If not, is there an alternative vaccine? We cannot go through the heartache or the expense again. -- K.C., O’Fallon, Missouri

DEAR K.C.: How very distressing for your poor cat, and for you.

I cannot advise you not to follow the law regarding regular anti-rabies vaccinations, but you need to find out what kind of vaccine was given. There are different kinds, some possibly safer than others. I do know that many people with always-indoor cats avoid giving them certain vaccinations, but this could be a problem if the cat needs to be boarded or taken to the vet for some health issue or regular check-up.

I have contacted Dr. W. Jean Dodds, a veterinarian who is an expert in this (and other) fields, who may have some insights to help you and your cat through this problem. She wrote:

“Sorry that this happened to your cat, but he should NOT receive any more rabies vaccines for his own safety -- which, in our view, with our Hippocratic Oath as veterinarians, supersedes local and state regulations where there is literally zero risk.

“Giving an antihistamine, like Benadryl, will not ameliorate this type of hypersensitivity reaction. The veterinarian who witnessed the reaction and/or the ER that treated him could give you a written exemption from future rabies boosters. As an indoor cat, he will not be exposed to rabies. So, you can just keep him indoors and don’t license him with your community.” -- W.J.D., DVM, Hemopet, Santa Monica, California

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 8-month-old shiba inu female occasionally trembles.

The first time she did this, at 6 months, we thought she might have eaten a plant leaf, so we rushed her to the vet. She was put on meds, as well as a controlled diet. The trembling stopped after 12 hours. In three days, it appeared the meds were a problem, so the vet ended them.

Since that time, she seems to have fits of trembling lasting from 15 minutes to an hour, occurring at random times of the day, about twice a month for the past two months. During that time, she pants and seeks comfort; particularly afterward, she wants to be held.

Checking online, we see that this is a common ailment for shiba inus and wonder if a cause and possible cure have been established. Our vet has not been able to uncover any relevant information. We have never owned this breed before and have no point of reference.

It is hard to watch her tremble without being able to help. I do give her yogurt following an episode. Although we monitor her diet with a grain she likes, yogurt seemed to be the only thing that was useful when we thought the reason for the trembling might be plant poisoning.

Do you know what causes this, and do you have any recommendations as to how we can control it? -- L.H., Belmar, New Jersey

DEAR L.H.: I am sorry to hear about your dog’s distressing neurological condition, but there is a possible treatment -- even though the exact cause (and therefore prevention) have not yet been determined.

Your dog probably fits the condition of full-body tremors called “shaker dog syndrome,” also known as “white dog shaker syndrome” and “idiopathic steroid responsive shaker syndrome.”

This is most often seen in small dog breeds and is also seen in cats. It is most common in West Highland white terriers, Maltese, Bichons and poodles. The disease has a sudden onset at 1 to 2 years of age, and is worsened by stress. Symptoms can include nystagmus (eyes moving rapidly from side to side), difficulty walking and seizures. It must be distinguished from other conditions that can cause neurological problems, especially low blood sugar in small breeds.

The cause is unknown, but it may be immune system-related. Treatment with corticosteroids (prednisolone) may help, and a low dose of Valium may help alleviate anxiety and associated neuromuscular tension. Also ask your vet about trying a prescription for gabapentin.

With treatment, symptoms usually resolve within a week, although lifelong treatment may be necessary. Avoid getting your dog into over-stimulating situations until the medication improves things.

AIRLINE UPDATES PET TRANSPORT POLICY

United Airlines will resume accepting dogs and cats for transport as cargo, but will not accept some snub-nosed and strong-jawed breeds and will not transport any animals through airports in Las Vegas; Palm Springs, California; Phoenix; or Tucson, Arizona, from May to September. (Chicago Tribune, May 1)

In my opinion, all airlines should adopt these policies, especially with “snub-nosed” (brachycephalic) dogs and cats who are very much at risk -- especially when transit-associated fear triggers hyperventilation. This could cause swelling of the tissues in the throat and death by suffocation.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR READERS: Taking a significant step toward a more civil and humane society, the British government plans to introduce legislation banning the use of wild animals in circuses.

It is encouraging when governments respond to public concern, rather than continue to kowtow to vested interests regardless of the ethical costs -- and, in this instance, the enslavement and documented suffering of wild animals in circuses.

The circus’s big-cat handlers and trainers may say they love and respect their performing lions and tigers, as well as the other captive wild animals, who live most of their lives in small cages -- including elephants, who are often beaten and live most of their lives in chains. But what do children in the audience learn, beyond accepting that there is nothing wrong in such animal exploitation? Time for America to follow suit and pick up this kind of initiative for the good of all.

DEAR Dr. FOX: I have a 10-year-old Persian who seems to struggle a bit going to the bathroom to do No. 2. While he will go, I heard that pumpkin may help his stool come out better. Before, his stool used to be long, but now it comes out in small chunks.

How should I give the pumpkin to my cat, and how much? I don’t want to give him diarrhea, but I would like to help him. -- M E., Eatontown, New Jersey

DEAR M.E.: Cats are prone to developing constipation when they are fed just dry kibble and get little exercise. This can lead to an unhealthy gut with complications such as impaction and megacolon.

So try to stimulate play with interactive games: Chasing a laser light is the delight of many cats. Abdominal massage also helps many cats afflicted with chronic constipation.

Above all, feed him some canned (or freeze-dried and water-soaked) cat foods, or try my home-prepared recipe on my website.

I would never advise pumpkin seeds because the high fiber content, like in psyllium husks, could aggravate the condition. But some lower-fiber supplements can help, such as a half-teaspoon of canned pumpkin or mashed butter beans in your cat’s food daily. Gradually work up to a tablespoon daily (because cats are often averse to anything new in their food), mixed in with a teaspoon of mashed canned sardines in water.

PROPOSED CAT-DECLAWING BAN IN CALIFORNIA

The California Cat Protection (Anti-Declaw) Bill, SB 1441, was officially introduced. The primary author is California State Senator Henry Stern (D) and the first co-author is Senator Scott Wilk (R). Features of the bill:

-- Declawing is outlawed. No one may declaw cats and no one may procure a declaw procedure. Procedures to treat physical medical conditions of animals are not restricted.

-- Violation of the law would carry a penalty of a fine for the first offense and would be considered a misdemeanor for subsequent offenses.

-- Existing local law penalties and penalties for declawing wild and exotic cats will not be superseded.

It is high time for all states to get this kind of legislation passed, and for veterinary associations to wake up to their responsibility to educate their cat-owning clients. Vets must not engage in this kind of unconscionable and unwarranted mutilation as a routine procedure along with neutering. For details of the harmful physical and psychological consequences of declawing that many cats suffer after such surgery, see my review on this topic posted on my website (drfoxvet.net).

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: You have on your website some accounts of animals appearing to their owners after death. So do you believe in heaven, where we will meet up with all of our loved ones? Or do animals, like some people think, go somewhere else because they do not have souls? -- R.E., Glen Echo, Maryland

DEAR R.E.: The notion of heaven is different for different religions, and has often been used as a political tool to make people conform to certain values and beliefs -- otherwise, they were told, they would go to hell.

The English poet John Milton contended that “the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of a heaven.” Accepting that there are different physical and mental states of being, then Milton is surely right: Heaven is in the embrace of all we love and suffer for. Ignorance, indifference, fear and hatred of each other and other animals turn heaven into hell. We are living spirits experiencing life in human form, whose lives are enriched and even healed by other spirits in dog, cat and other sentient forms.

As the Australian aborigines say, “Dingo (dog) makes us human.” Indeed, other animals can awaken our humanity and touch our spirits, and we must protect them from those who are not yet so touched. We must help those people connect -- and not treat other beings as objects, having neither compassion nor empathy for their earthly relations, nor respect for their ancestors.

DEAR DR. FOX: My bichon dog, Max, is 16 years old. His heart, lungs and muscle tone are good, according to our vet, but he has been diagnosed with high blood pressure and atypical Cushing’s disease. His hormone test was normal, but ultrasound showed slightly enlarged adrenal glands. He is on trilostane (15 mg a day) and amlodipine (1.25 mg).

He insists on waking us up at 4 a.m. and again at 6 a.m. to urinate and eat, after taking him out at 10 p.m. If we do not respond to his cries to go out, he will lose his bladder control and urinate on the floor. I don’t think he even realizes he has urinated.

My question is, are there any meds that can help his lack of bladder control? He never had any accidents 14 years prior to this. -- G.C., Neptune, New Jersey

DEAR G.C.: Congratulations on keeping this older dog going, which, as you have discovered, can be an ordeal.

Restlessness and even wandering around and waking everyone up for food or to be let out may be related to chronic kidney failure, senile dementia or a combination of such issues. This is often seen in older dogs and cats, as well as people.

I would suggest your veterinarian consider these possible complications, and try a light dose of alprazolam at bedtime. But first, try 3-6 mg of melatonin coupled with a last walk before bedtime, and a good total body massage as per my book “The Healing Touch for Dogs.”

DEAR DR. FOX: I love your stories about pets that initiate play. I had a Siamese who liked to play “chase.” She would peek around a corner and look at me, then step back, then peek around again to see if she had my attention. I would do “monster hands” in the air and start to chase her. She’d run and usually hide under the bed or a chair. I’d turn the tables on her, waiting until she reappeared from under the furniture. If I stood just outside the door, she’d know it and creep forward to see me. I would run down the hall and she would chase me! She wore me out!

She was an “only pet,” and was with me for 18 years. After she passed, I got two Siamese sisters, and they exhibit the same behavior -- hiding, ambushing and chasing each other. I guess I was just one big playmate to the first cat. -- M.D., Shiloh, Illinois

DEAR M.D.: One game I developed with my first cat, Igor, a very talkative Siamese, was to flip him with my foot at a burlap screen about six feet away, to which he would cling, do a backflip and come back for more. I once showed this game to a date to impress her, and she was ready to leave in disgust at what she thought was cruelty, until she saw Igor’s delight.

Igor also walked with me in the close-by Maine woods, and would sneak ahead and ambush me on the trail or arch his back and threaten to attack me. I would crouch down and he would jump on my back, and we would continue our jaunt.

I wish more people would learn how to play like a cat with their cats, and consider having two or more cats rather than just one.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)